Technology & Distance Learning Books

Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns

Clayton Christensen, Curtis W. Johnson, Michael B. Horn

Amazon Price: $21.75 List Price: $32.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $17.94

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Industries & Professions -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Industries & Professions -> General AAS
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Reference -> Education

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A crash course in the business of learning-from the bestselling author of The Innovator's Dilemma and The Innovator's Solution�

. .

�A brilliant teacher, Christensen brings clarity to a muddled and chaotic world of education.�
-Jim Collins, bestselling author of Good to Great

. .

According to recent studies in neuroscience, the way we learn doesn't always match up with the way we are taught. If we hope to stay competitive-academically, economically, and technologically-we need to rethink our understanding of intelligence, reevaluate our educational system, and reinvigorate our commitment to learning. In other words, we need �disruptive innovation.�

. .

Now, in his long-awaited new book, Clayton M. Christensen and coauthors Michael B. Horn and Curtis W. Johnson take one of the most important issues of our time-education-and apply Christensen's now-famous theories of �disruptive� change using a wide range of real-life examples. Whether you're a school administrator, government official, business leader, parent, teacher, or entrepreneur, you'll discover surprising new ideas, outside-the-box strategies, and straight-A success stories.

You'll learn how

.

.
• Customized learning will help many more students succeed in school.
• Student-centric classrooms will increase the demand for new technology.
• Computers must be disruptively deployed to every student.
• Disruptive innovation can circumvent roadblocks that have prevented other attempts at school reform.
• We can compete in the global classroom-and get ahead in the global market.

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Filled with fascinating case studies, scientific findings, and unprecedented insights on how innovation must be managed, Disrupting Class will open your eyes to new possibilities, unlock hidden potential, and get you to think differently. Professor Christensen and his coauthors provide a bold new lesson in innovation that will help you make the grade for years to come.

. .

The future is now. Class is in session.

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The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home, Revised and Updated Edition

Susan Wise Bauer, Jessie Wise

Amazon Price: $26.37 List Price: $39.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W. W. Norton & Company Amazon Marketplace: 59 new & used starting at $24.27

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> General AAS
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Homeschooling -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Homeschooling -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 212 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

homeschooling resource 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It's quite a book to undertake, but I'm tackling it in bits and pieces. It has been a useful tool in homeschooling my child.

The Well-Trained Mind 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I am a certified teacher with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. This book is an excellent reference book for teaching using the classical education method. The resources in this book are invaluable! From schedules, to internet links, to subject studies, and clear definitions; this book has it all. I borrowed it from the library at first. Then when I read it, I decided to buy it so I can refer back to it. I found the "How to do it" sections fantastic (especially the advice given on working with babies and toddlers). It's organized well and in a easy to read format.

Overwhelming 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I think this book tries to overwhelm someone trying to teach their child. I can't imagine a child being happy being taught so rigorously and will be isolated and overstressed with such intense hours of school. (A lot of public and private schools have the same problem) I don't trust the advice of teaching about all religions at such young ages. They need to be grounded in their own culture and religion first. I'd get a simpler construct of a classical education or you'll go nuts. Also, read John Taylor Gatto for guidance.

Editorial Review:

Offers step-by-step instruction on how to enable an academically rigorous, comprehensive education for children from preschool through high school, outlining a classical educational model while providing book lists, ordering information, and Internet links.

Teachers' Night Before Christmas (Night Before Christmas Series)

Steven Layne

Amazon Price: $10.85 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Pelican Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $8.99

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 4-8 -> General AAS
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Literature -> Poetry -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great Twist on a Christmas Classic 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I am a third-grade teacher, and I loved this story. The chaos that is portrayed on the pages of this delightful picture book is so true regarding what it is like the last few days before Christmas vacation. I especially loved reading about the room mom commandos and the yearly Christmas pageant. I have bought this book as a gift for several of my colleagues who have also thoroughly enjoyed it.

Editorial Review:

What do excited students, craft projects, room mothers, nursing home visits, harried shopping, and near-disastrous pageants have in common?

They are all a part of a teacher's pre-Christmas experience. In this energetic romp through a school's last days before the Christmas break, the students are full of energy and are up to all manner of mischief. But the teachers are pulling out their hair trying to keep the students busy, while they despair over their own Christmas preparations.

Who should come to the rescue? Santa himself, of course! And he arrives at the helm of a flying school bus, with presents for all the teachers and a promise to take care of their shopping for them. The fantastic illustrations work with the text to make this a fast-paced, high-energy comedic interpretation of Clement C. Moore's classic poem. The book is sure to be a read-aloud favorite at Christmas parties in schools everywhere.

Using Technology With Classroom Instruction That Works

Howard Pitler, Elizabeth R. Hubbell, Matt Kuhn, Kim Malenoski

Amazon Price: $20.12 List Price: $27.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: ASCD Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $18.51

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Technology & Distance Learning -> Computers & Technology
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Education -> Lesson Planning
Subjects -> Science -> Technology -> General & Reference

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent translational text ... 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This book is an excellent transitional text that links instructional strategies that work (i.e., produce improved student achievement) with practical uses of available technology. Too often, technology is considered a separate subject in K12 education. This book shows how technology supports and enhances sound instructional practices.

It is a must read for school technology directors and curriculum directors. Thanks to the REMCAM (Regional Educational Media Centers Association of Michigan) for recommending it.

Informative and Easy to Read 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and kept my attention. It is organized in a fashion that is easy to follow, giving one time to digest each strategy at a time. Lots of good tips that one can take right into the classroom and use with students. This would be a great book to do a book study group on!

Using Technology With Classroom Instruction That Works 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent book for any teacher that uses technology. This is a guide for any teacher or administrator.

Computer Repair with Diagnostic Flowcharts: Troubleshooting PC Hardware Problems from Boot Failure to Poor Performance, Revised Edition

Morris Rosenthal

Amazon Price: $13.45 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Foner Books Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $13.45

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Computer Science -> Software Engineering -> Information Systems
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Hardware -> Maintenance, Repair & Upgrading
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Hardware -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Very helpful 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

If you have basic knowledge of computer parts, this book is excellent at helping you track down which part of the computer is most likely causing whatever problems you might be having.

Editorial Review:

A unique visual approach to troubleshooting PC hardware problems. Morris Rosenthal creates a visual expert system for diagnosing component failure and identifying conflicts. The seventeen diagnostic flowcharts at the core of this book are intended for the intermediate to advanced hobbyist, or the beginning technician. Following a structured approach to troubleshooting hardware reduces the false diagnoses and parts wastage typical of the "swap 'till you drop" school of thought. Flowcharts include: Power Supply Failure, Video Failure, Video Performance, Motherboard, CPU, RAM Failure, Motherboard, CPU, RAM Performance, IDE Drive Failure, Hard Drive Boot and Performance, CD or DVD Playback, CD or DVD Recording Problem, Modem Failure, Modem Performance, Sound Failure, Sound and Game Controller Performance, Network Failure, Peripheral Failure, SCSI Failure and Conflict Resolution.

Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms

Will Richardson

Amazon Price: $26.05 List Price: $28.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Corwin Press Amazon Marketplace: 32 new & used starting at $21.49

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Home Computing -> Internet -> Internet & Education
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Software -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Software -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Hits the nail on the head by emphasizing how technology can be used in ways that go beyond one-on-one student use with software programs and teachers' use of PowerPoint for presentations. The book emphasizes the collaborative work and learning that can occur when educators take advantage of all that the Internet has to offer."
-Erica Boling, Assistant Professor of Literacy Education
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Use the Web to help students learn more, create more, and communicate more effectively!

Technology impacts every facet of students' lives and plays a significant role in how students receive and process information. The second edition of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms shows educators at all levels and disciplines how to tap into the potential of digital tools for creating relevant, interactive learning experiences in the classroom.

With updated research on Web technology, a critical section on Internet safety, and a new emphasis on information literacy with related links, this resource equips teachers with:

• Definitions, explanations, and how-to's for using technology to enhance learning
• Applications for blogs, wikis, podcasts, Real Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds, aggregators, social bookmarking, and online photo galleries
• Real-world examples from K–12 teachers around the world

When teachers expand their knowledge of Web tools to build 21st-century learning skills, they can effectively prepare students for future success.

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e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning

Ruth Colvin Clark, Richard E. Mayer

Amazon Price: $44.00 List Price: $55.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Pfeiffer Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $39.59

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Extremely Accessible and Great Basic Information 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I operate an educational multimedia publishing group serving the public healthcare sector. I found this book to be eminently approachable and extremely well organized. I was able to read through it over a weekend. One can get to the key concepts (the HOW) of each chapter without being forced to muddle through the supporting theory. That being said, all major concepts are well supported by research and cognitive theory for those who wish to understand the WHY. It is important to note that the authors' focus is mostly on the corporate training world and adult learners needing to develop fundamental skills. Not until chapter 14 do they discuss approaches to more advanced learners. Overall, I highly recommend this book. It should be on the shelf of everyone who is creating e-learning for adult learners.

Editorial Review:

In this thoroughly revised edition of the bestselling e-Learning and the Science of Instruction authors Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard E. Mayer— internationally-recognized experts in the field of e-learning—offer essential information and guidelines for selecting, designing, and developing asynchronous and synchronous e-learning courses that build knowledge and skills for workers learning in corporate, government, and academic settings. In addition to updating research in all chapters, two new chapters and a CD with multimedia examples are included.

Using Moodle: Teaching with the Popular Open Source Course Management System (Using)

Jason Cole, Helen Foster

Amazon Price: $35.99 List Price: $39.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: O'Reilly Media, Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $26.24

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Computer Science -> General AAS
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Software Design, Testing & Engineering -> Software Development
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Using Moodle is a complete, hands-on guide for instructors learning how to use Moodle, the popular course management system (CMS) that enables remote web-based learning and supplements traditional classroom learning. Updated for the latest version, this new edition explains exactly how Moodle works by offering plenty of examples, screenshots and best practices for its many features and plug-in modules. Moodle gives teachers and trainers a powerful set of web-based tools for a flexible array of activities, including assignments, forums, journals, quizzes, surveys, chat rooms, and workshops. This book is not just a how-to manual. Every chapter includes suggestions and case studies for using Moodle effectively. By itself, Moodle won't make your course better. Only by applying effective educational practices can you truly leverage its power. With this book, you will: Get a complete overview CMS in general and Moodle in particular. Review Moodle's basic interface and learn to start a course. Learn to add Moodle tools to your course, and how different tools allow you to give quizzes and assignments, write journals, create pathed lessons, collaboratively develop documents, and record student grades. Discover some of the creative ways teachers have used Moodle. There are plenty of ideas for effectively using each tool. Effectively manage your Moodle course, such as adding and removing users, and creating user groups. Learn to use Moodle's built-in survey functions for assessing your class. Find out how to administer an entire Moodle site. A system administrator usually handles these functions, but if you're on your own, there's a lot of power behind the curtain. Using Moodle is both a guide anda reference manual for this incredibly powerful and flexible CMS. Authored by the Moodle community, this authoritative book also exposes little known but powerful hacks for more technically savvy users, and includes coverage of blogs, RSS, databases, and more. For anyone who is using, or thinking of using, this CMS, Using Moodle is required reading.

What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Second Edition: Revised and Updated Edition

James Paul Gee

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Palgrave Macmillan Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $5.58

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Games & Strategy Guides -> Video Games
Subjects -> Entertainment -> Puzzles & Games -> Video & Electronic Games
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Psychology & Counseling -> Cognitive

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Good for research, not so much for general reading. 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

First of all, this book is not written as a general public book, it is written much more in the vein of a college graduate's analysis. Heavy discussion of the effects of video games on the semiotic domain underpin the analysis. That being said, this book is a good analysis of the effects of video games on those that play them.

If you want a general public analysis of the effects of entertainment (and video games) on people, check out Steven Johnson's "Everything Bad is Good For You." This book is a deeper analysis of part of Steven Johnson's book, so it might be best as a follow-up purchase.

My biggest complaint about James Paul Gee's book is more with the copy editor and publisher. There are so many poorly written or incorrectly written sentences that should have been caught and corrected. It really affects the perceptions about the book's research.

Editorial Review:

James Paul Gee begins his classic book with "I want to talk about video games--yes, even violent video games--and say some positive things about them." With this simple but explosive statement, one of America's most well-respected educators looks seriously at the good that can come from playing video games. In this revised edition, new games like World of WarCraft and Half Life 2 are evaluated and theories of cognitive development are expanded. Gee looks at major cognitive activities including how individuals develop a sense of identity, how we grasp meaning, how we evaluate and follow a command, pick a role model, and perceive the world.

The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child: Your Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start

Linda Dobson

Amazon Price: $11.53 List Price: $16.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Three Rivers Press Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $6.03

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Homeschooling -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Homeschooling -> General AAS
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Technology & Distance Learning -> Distance Learning

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Homeschool the right way from day one.
Are you considering homeschooling for your family? Today, many parents recognize that their child's school options are limited, inadequate, or even dangerous, and an increasing number are turning to homeschooling. But where do you start and how do you ensure the highest-quality educational experience, especially in that pivotal first year?
This comprehensive guide will help you determine the appropriate first steps, build your own educational philosophy, and discover the best ways to cater to your child's specific learning style, including:
·When, why, and how to get started
·The best ways to develop an effective curriculum, assess your child's progress, and navigate local regulations
·Kid-tested and parent-approved learning activities for all age levels
·Simple strategies for developing an independent child and strengthening family and social relationships
·And much, much more!
"To the thousands of requests we receive for help from families new to homeschooling, we will now recommend this warm and knowledgeable book. It will ensure that all families make it to the second year—including yours!" —Elizabeth Kanna, editor in chief, Homeschool.com
"Linda Dobson addresses all the issues facing parents as they consider the task of homeschooling over other educational options. Those who wonder whether they really can or want to do the job will find unique perspectives in this well-researched work."—Beverly K. Eakman, author and cofounder, National Education Consortium